Rooftop Films has awarded sixteen cash and service grants to alumni filmmakers, including The Rooftop Filmmakers’ Fund Garbo NYC Feature Film Grants, which were awarded to directors Robert Greene and Kirsten Johnson. Greene will receive a monetary grant of $15,000 to help finish his new film, Bisbee ‘17, and Johnson will receive a $10,000 grant to support her film, Deadpan.
“The Rooftop Filmmakers Fund grant committee was blown away by the quality of applicants this year, and the projects we selected feature powerful personal stories and bold political statements—often within the same film,” said Dan Nuxoll, artistic director of Rooftop Films. “In a year full of confusing twists and turns, we are excited to be supporting several films that speak with bold clarity to the issues of our time, as well as delicate, playful and intimate films from a diverse group of Rooftop alumni filmmakers.”
Robert Greene’s previous films include the Gotham Awards nominated Actress, and Kate Plays Christine, which won the 2016 Screenwriting Award from the Sundance Film Festival. Kirsten Johnson has worked as Director of Photography on award winning documentaries like Citizenfour and The Invisible War. Her recent feature film “Cameraperson” has been shortlisted as a nominee for the 2017 Academy Awards, and won three awards at last Wednesday’s Cinema Eye Honors, including the top award, Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking.
“Although we ultimately sit back to admire the work on the big screen, central to Rooftop is the notion that our audiences and filmmakers share a common ground for creativity and contribution,” said Anett Gabriel, founder and stylist of Garbo NYC. “That's why this year we acknowledged one finalist who deserves the headspace to further explore/develop her ideas. Meanwhile, our other finalist already has 'all gates open' to go into production with a community-driven film.”
Sixteen different grants were awarded to Rooftop Films alumni in 2016, including the Garbo NYC Feature Film Grants, the inaugural Nice Shoes Color Correction Feature Film Grant and Sound Lounge Sound Mix Feature Film Grant, as well as grants supported by our returning partners at Brigade, Eastern Effects, Edgeworx Studios, Technological Cinevideo Services, Downtown Community Television Center, and The Adrienne Shelley Foundation. 2016 also marks the first year of the Kayla Thomas Filmmaker grant, a donation-based grant in commemoration of Rooftop Films friend and teammate Kayla Thomas.
To see a full list of the 2016 grantees with award details and film synopses, visit http://rooftopfilms.com/2016/info/produce.
Rooftop Films http://www.rooftopfilms.com.